Subhojeet Mukherjee on February 10, 2026
Trey Miguel nearly walked away from professional wrestling after his sudden AEW release—but now we know exactly why he didn’t quit.
Speaking on the Mr. Know Your Wrestling podcast on February 10, 2026, Miguel credited one man—Alex Shelley—for pulling him out of the emotional freefall that followed his AEW departure. According to Miguel, Shelley became the lifeline that helped him process his anxiety, depression, and feelings of rejection.
“Alex Shelley is the absolute single-handed reason why I’m still doing this today. I opened up to him about being depressed, having anxiety, wanting to quit, and feeling like I wasn’t meant to do this—that wrestling hated me while all I did was love it.”
Miguel explained that Shelley didn’t just listen—he redirected that pain and pushed him toward rediscovering his purpose.
“He took me from a place of wanting to quit to a place of wanting to prove myself wrong, to be undeniable, and just do what I love to do. We have to learn how to separate those things a little bit.”
The update adds new context to Miguel’s emotional Instagram post from January 24, where he admitted that his AEW release nearly broke him. He revealed at the time that he’d gone silent for over a week, isolating himself and questioning whether his dream had just died.
“I came very close to quitting. My heart was broken. I felt like wrestling hated me to be quite honest. I hadn’t felt a hurt or a loss like that in a very long time. I didn’t answer calls or texts and I spent a little over a week contemplating what’s next. I felt like my dream died as quickly as it was realized.”
But just days later, Miguel made a surprise return to TNA Wrestling during the January 22 episode of iMPACT, winning a Feast or Fired briefcase and reigniting his career in front of fans who had no idea how close he came to walking away. With Alex Shelley in his corner, Miguel says he’s now focused on proving he belongs—not to anyone else, but to himself.
How do you feel about Trey Miguel’s return to TNA—and should he be in line for a major push after this comeback story? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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